Aerial Strike on UN Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills Six UN Personnel
A aerial bombardment hit a UN logistics base in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, causing the deaths of six peacekeepers, per a announcement.
The incident impacted a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 additional peacekeepers were wounded in the assault. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Strikes targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law,” the statement said, urging those responsible for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Points Finger at Paramilitary Faction
The Sudanese military blamed the incident on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious armed faction that has been fighting with the government troops for dominance over the country for over 24 months.
The strike “clearly reveals the rebellious nature of the rebel militia and its backers,” the army said in a release.
Context of the Contested Area
The resource-abundant Abyei is a contested territory between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the peacekeeping force has been deployed there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.
Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process” to settle the conflict.
Country Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in chaos in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the army and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the capital, Khartoum and across the country.
- The conflict has taken tens of thousands, a toll human rights organizations consider a major underestimate.
- Recent fighting has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces seized El Fasher.
- The crisis has destroyed urban areas and has been characterized by horrors, such as mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These crimes have been described as war crimes by global observers.
- The situation has also created the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and forced parts of the country into extreme hunger.
